


Tinsel and Ribbons

by sarcastic_fangirl01



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: (at least in one of them), Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Baking, Brotzly - Freeform, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cuddles, Drabbles, Drunk confessions, F/F, Farina - Freeform, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Short Stories, X-mas Prompts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-05 22:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16819321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcastic_fangirl01/pseuds/sarcastic_fangirl01
Summary: Hey baby, all I want for Christmas is you,And I can't wait to come home.Series of short unrelated stories for each day until Christmas.





	1. All I want is you this Christmas Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _“Your face is so red. Is it for the cold?… Or is it me?”_ Farina.
> 
> Title from Christmas on the Road by Sleeping WIth Sirens.

The weather on December has always been complicated. In Seattle, winter came by slowly, following right after a cool fall that left Farah with a bare sensation of change in between seasons. But when Tina suggested spending Christmas in Montana, she discovered what a real winter was. The snow covered every road, making it almost impossible for her pick-up to transit her way to the Bersberg Police Station. The change was a lot more abrupt there, pivoting from a somewhat chilly wind that moved the leaves fallen from the trees to a crude cold that cut through flesh and bones

She’d never had trouble with carrying through the weather before. In fact, when she was younger, her father made sure she was strong enough to endure any kind of obstacle (natural or artificial) while taking care of her training. Aside from Christmas and New Year’s Eve, winter was pretty much the only time of the year where she trained non-stop. 

But time has passed since that, and after so much time working for the Springs family, along with her actual work in the agency keeping her from following the strict program, she got used to the warm weather of Seattle. Now, finally stepping in the cloud-like ground with her hands safely kept inside her pockets, she remembered what it felt like. It wasn’t a good reminder.

However, the sight of Tina on the door, with a wool sweater that could totally win a prize in a ridiculousness contest and green fluffy gloves waving at her, was enough to let her forget about the cold altogether. The holidays never were Farah’s favorite part of the year. For a time about family, love and friendship to be cherished, her particular family never did anything to properly acknowledge it. Farah herself became the embodiment of the Grinch because of this, ruining more than once the merry spirit that surrounded many of her classmates and future coworkers. But in the last year or so where she met Dirk, Todd, and Tina, that started to change. 

This was the first Christmas she spent without her family, far from her father’s bitter comments or their brothers' fights. Far from the cold and empty spot that her mother left many years ago. She was determined to have a good holiday for once. And with the cute smile greeting her a few feet away, she thought it would work this time.

“You finally arrived! How was the trip?” Tina received her with a tight hug, letting some of her warmth pass through Farah’s clothes. “Did you enjoy it?”

“A bit snowy, I must say,” she chuckled putting some distance between them. “But it was worth it.” She hoped for the smile on her face to be proof enough of that.

“You’re not so used to it, are you?” she inquired with a funny smile and an eyebrow quirked up.

“What gave me away?”

“Well, the few clothes you have on might be a little of a sign by itself but oh God,” she pinched the tip of Farah’s nose, “your face is so red. Is it for the cold? Or is it me?” 

She giggled at that, embracing her once more. “I missed you.”

Yes, this year it would be different.

“Me too,” she smiled before letting go of her. “Anyway, let’s go inside before you turn into an iceberg. You can’t die before trying Hobbs’ eggnog!”

And as she carried her through the door, taking her by the hand, Farah had to bit the huge grin that threatened to take place in her lips. 


	2. I feel safe when you're holding me near

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"Let's Cuddle"_ Brotzly.
> 
> Title from Hearts Don't Break Around Here by Ed Sheeran.

Dirk’s life has had multiple surprises over the long years of his existence. Many of them were pleasant. Others, highly worthy to be forgotten. But the one that kept with him the most was the idea of the Holidays. Blackwing never did a good job at educating him on the outside world’s matters, so his knowledge on the subject had been quite poor until the first December he spent outside of that building. He remembered seeing the decorations, shining brightly on the streets and welcoming to a completely different world. The entire idea of celebrating such wholesome feelings was wonderful by itself, but the food? The presents? The reindeer?! Yeah, it was practically asking for it to be Dirk’s favourite day of the year.

However, he never had anyone to celebrate it with, no one to share all those silly traditions and shower with appreciation and love.

Or that was until now.

With his new friends in his life, his love for Christmas only grew bigger and bigger. Especially since Todd and he got to be, um, more than friends. This promised a new stage in Dirk’s life, full of parties, laughter, and people.

Although not this year. With Amanda on the road with the Rowdies and Farah being away on Bersberg, it was quite impossible to make a huge party out of it. But at least he had Todd. And he promised him they would do all the things people did for Christmas. This meant having an entire day dedicated to shopping decorations for Todd’s flat, lots of food and sweets for the night and some presents waiting for the clock to strike twelve to be opened.

Now, with everything glowing in red, green, gold and silver; the night sky visibly dark from the living-room window; and a low festive song sounding in the background, Dirk felt complete.

He turned to look at Todd, distracted with some sort of Buzzfeed article displayed on his phone screen.

Alright, almost complete.

“Todd,” he called.

“Hmm?” he hummed, barely acknowledging Dirk at the other side on the couch.

“Toodd,” Dirk repeated, this time leaning until his forehead touched the other man’s shoulder.

“What?” he whispered, still not taking the eyes from his phone.

“Toooodd,” Dirk called once more, this time pushing him a little bit.

“What?!” Todd finally looked at him.

“Merry Christmas,” Dirk smiled glancing him from below.

Instead of acting annoyed, Todd fondly rolled his eyes. Alright, perhaps there was some slight annoyance in the gesture, but not enough to bother Dirk to call him out for it.

“Merry Christmas to you too,” he smirked, passing an arm behind Dirk’s shoulders. Which gave him a great idea.

“Let’s cuddle,” Dirk said, turning so he was facing upwards. “Please?”

He was afraid of him saying no. Dirk wasn’t as confident in their new relationship as he’d want to yet. But when Todd set his phone aside he felt a rush of relief wash over him. They switched so Todd was embracing him, half sat half leaned on the end of the couch, while Dirk laid on the rest of it with his head resting on Todd’s chest.

“You feel warm,” he muttered. And safe, but he wasn’t going to say that one out loud.

“Thanks?” Todd answered, although it sounded a bit unsure. He was just as uncertain as him. “The heater on helps a bit.”

“You mean the fireplace.”

“Dirk, I don’t have a fireplace,” he frowned.

“Shhhh,” Dirk closed his eyes. “Let me dream a bit.”

When he opened them again his sight landed on the window, where a few white flakes started to fall. At some point Todd started to run his fingers through Dirk’s hair, slowly taking him to a sleepy path.

“This,” he whispered, although it might have come out like a purr as well, “is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.”

Todd’s hand suddenly stopped. “Why? We’re not doing anything special.”

“Well, that’s way much better than the alternative,” he shrugged, still a bit sleepy.

“And what would that be?” Todd asked returning to the petting.

“Being alone.”

Silence. That made Dirk get out of his doze to cast a glance up at Todd’s face. He had little wrinkles between his eyebrows, eyes looking at some point in the wall until they found his. And then. Some things happened. First he looked confused, but then his expression filled with realisation. And after that, immediate regret.

“I-I’m so sorry.” He took his hand off of Dirk’s hair as if it burned. “I shouldn’t… I didn’t think about-fuck, sorry, I’m a complete asshole...”

“What? No, Todd, it’s fine.” Dirk took the recently freed hand in between his, stroking it slowly to ease Todd’s nerves. “It’s alright, really. Even I forget about that sometimes, and that’s because of you.”

“Me?” he asked completely lost.

Of course he had no idea. He wasn’t in Dirk’s mind to see all the good he’d done in there. If only he could show him…

“Yes, you. You’ve given me more than anyone ever has. If it wasn’t for you, I’d still have a very lame holiday with no one to cuddle. Terrible alternative.”

He chuckled at that, hugging him tighter so Dirk’s head was now resting in his shoulder.

“I still think I can make it better,” he claimed, placing his head on top of Dirk’s. “I promise next year will be the best Christmas you will ever have. Much better than this one.”

Dirk could hear him very close since his mouth was practically next to his ear. Todd’s hand went up and down Dirk’s arm, sending little electric impulses every time it touched a bit of uncovered skin. He could feel his breathing on his hair, and the embracing warmth that his body expelled wrapped him in a blanket of comfort Dirk never wanted to get out of.

“As long as you’re there,” he smiled. “I’m sure it will.”


	3. Shit, maybe I miss you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _I think you've had too much eggnog_ Farina.
> 
> (In continuation to "All I want is you this Christmas Eve")
> 
> Title from Miss You by Louis Tomlinson.

The whole night had been a success by itself. Farah felt more welcomed in the police headquarters than in her own home. Instead of dead silence and awkward meals, Farah got to be in a real Christmas party. Many of Hobbs’ and Tina’s friends came after her too, the Boreton family included and happier than ever. There’d been loud music, candies of all sorts, and a lot of eggnog to get most of the people that attended the party in at least one level between tipsy and completely hammered.

In fact, after all the remaining conscious people left, it was Farah’s duty to take her pretty drunk girlfriend to the car that would drive her to her house. Which of course was her car. This was proven to be a difficult task, since she could barely walk without tripping a little as well. Hobbs accepted to be the designated driver once he saw the state of his friends, and despite how much Farah claimed to be able to speak without failing once, her tilted walking was reason enough to accept the offer.

On the way to the car, Farah tried to take the sloppy body that was Tina, wrapping an arm around her waist and passing hers through Farah’s shoulders. The woman muttered some words, but she couldn’t get any of them. It wasn’t until she tried to get her into the car that she could get a few words.

“Let go,” the deputy whispered, and only because Farah was the one buckling her up was that she could hear her. “Farah...”

“I’m here,” she answered her call.

“No.” Tina shook her head lazily, trying to get Farah’s hand off of her and failing miserably. “I want Farah here.”

She sat by her side while Hobbs started the car. Farah didn’t trust her to be still and don’t puke on their way to the house, so she decided that would be the best option. However, Tina seemed to think otherwise.

“No, out,” she pouted, to Farah’s distaste.

“What happens?” she asked confused.

“Who told you to touch me, huh? I have a girlfriend, did you know?”

Farah could hear Hobbs giggling in the driver seat.

“Sorry?”

“What you heard.” Tina sat further from her, putting more distance between her and the apparent stranger. “Farah would _never_ betray me, and I’m not planning on cheating on her either.”

Something clicked inside Farah’s brain, and then she smiled.

“Oh, you’re not?”

“No,” she nodded heavily. “Not now, or ever. I am a taken woman, do you think you can touch me like that so easily?”

“I think you’ve had too much eggnog.” Farah accompanied Hobbs in his laughter. The expression on Tina’s face was priceless, and Farah regretted having left her phone in the front seat and being unable to take a picture of her.

The silence that followed after the statement as comfortable. She leaned against the window, letting the freshness of the glass help her to recover from the tipsy state of mind she was going through. But after some brief minutes, the tiny voice could be heard again.

“She is beautiful.”

Farah turned to look at Tina, who absently played with a loose thread of the fluffy sweater.

“Who?” she asked in return.

“Farah.” The cute smile that spread on Tina’s lips made Farah want to kiss her. “It’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

Farah practically felt her cheeks turning furiously red. Hobbs, in the front, remained silent.

“She came over this year. Did you know?” Tina kept talking. “For Christmas, I mean. She wanted-” She yawned. “She wanted to have a good holiday with me.”

“I’m sure of that,” Farah whispered, although in the silence of the road, everyone could hear her.

“I want to give her everything,” Tina frowned. “She deserves it. She’s pretty cool, to be fair, you should know her.”

Farah chuckled, “Yes, it would be good.”

But Tina’s temple changed drastically into a more serious one.

“I just wish she knew how much I love her.”

God, she was going to be the death of her.

“Like, I want to tell her how I feel and all but, I don’t want to scare her.”

Farah frowned at this, quite confused. She wanted to say that nothing she did could ever scare her, but she felt like it would be betraying Tina’s confidence with the not-Farah.

It was a strange idea, but it had good reasons.

“How could you scare her?” she said instead.

Tina, leaning against the door and with her face plastered against the window, gave her a sad smile.

“I don’t want her to feel like it is too much, or too fast. Don’t want her to feel overwhelmed and go away.” Farah felt her heart break in two. “I’d never want her to go away.”

She looked at Hobbs, waiting for an idea of what to do. The man, however, remained with his eyes fixed in the road. Farah opted then for following her instincts, and they told her to go for it. She moved closer to Tina, placing a gentle hand on her arm. This brought her attention to her, glassy and sleepy eyes fixing in hers.

“You have to know that she would _never_ go away,” she told her with the lowest voice she was capable of. “Not for you being, well, _you_. In fact, if I was in your place… I would tell her.”

“What?” Tina reacted by grasping Farah’s arm in a tight grip. “I can’t do that, what if she-”

“‘What if she’ nothing,” she cut her off. “I actually think she loves you too but is too scared to say it first.”

Farah felt Hobbs’ eyes burning holes in her through the rear-view mirror, but she couldn’t look away from Tina’s face. She was doubtful, a bit reticent, but finally she gave up.

“Do you think so?”

“I do.” She could feel the weight of her own words, occupying space in her mind and making loud static noises.

“Then I will tell her.” And then she smiled, lazily, with enough alcohol in her system to make her movements ten times more clumsy. “Thank you… Hey! You never told me your name!”

“Believe me,” she smiled. “It’s not important. You should get some sleep now.”

“As you say, strange woman.”

And Farah watched her sleep, knowing she wouldn’t fully remember speaking with her in the morning, but keeping in mind that there would be an important conversation taking place in their near future. And somehow, she was completely relaxed about it.


	4. Thanks to you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk doesn't know how to cook and Todd is a little shit (don't worry, he compensates for it)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"This fruitcake tastes like shit." "I made it"_ Brotzly.

Parties have always been a good way to uplift anyone’s mood, and that could be counted as a fact. But there was a particular kind of party that Todd had always had a hate-love relationship with, and those were Christmas parties. Even from his youth, when all his family gathered in his Uncle Bill’s house the 24th night of December, he never got the appeal of it. The supposed meaning behind them was to celebrate the born of God’s son, and the reason behind the many gifts has always been very commercial. Of course that his rebellious self would find a few altercations with that. But, that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy the _party_ itself.

Despite how much he dreaded having to hear his highly catholic grandmother talk about the word of God and the miracle that the date represented, he silently counted the days as soon as December began to see all his family united. Because despite the many problems they could have had during the year, the holidays were always a perfect time to forget about all of that and have dinner with all of them, play with his cousins one more time and, in later years, get sort of drunk with his aunts and uncles.

Yes, Christmas parties were a gift if he had to be honest, and Todd felt lucky for being able to enjoy them much better than many other kids. When Farah told them once the subject was brought in how her Christmas Eves were spent, he felt almost guilty for having told her about his own experiences. And when Dirk spoke… saying he felt his heart broke and his blood boil was selling it a bit cheap. So for this year, Todd decided to give his friends the best Christmas celebration they had ever had. This meant having to host a party with the Rowdy 3 and Tina Tevetino in the same apartment, and if that wasn’t sacrifice he didn’t know what it was.

By the evening, and with Dirk’s help, most of the decoration was already up. There were vibrant garlands hanging from every wall and in between the libraries. The tree standing in the corner was charged with decorations of varying colors and types: from candy canes to snowflakes, small fake candles, and little angels to go with them. They even had a big golden star, thanks to Mona, on top of it. The food was pretty much organized (or at least Todd wanted to believe it was organized) over the spare table they disposed just for the occasion in the middle of the living-room. In the TV, for Dirk’s pleasure, the video of a crackling fire would help to set the mood for the rest of the night.

While he was giving the last touches to a recently acquired framed picture of the Agency, Todd cast a sneaky glance at the table. He’d been eyeing the food since he and Dirk put the dishes there, but not without the warning from the detective of not touching anything until the rest arrived. But damn it all, he was hungry, alright? So he went to the first thing he saw, the fruitcake. To be fair with it, the look was already a bit of a warning. The brownish color was supposed to be a good sign, but the raisins, the sugar on the top and the little black dots all over it definitely weren’t. But he cut a bit nonetheless, and the moment he put it in his mouth he immediately regretted it.

“Dirk?” Todd mumbled through his full mouth. “Where did you buy this thing? Damn,” he said after spitting the bite of confusing mass into a paper napkin. “This fruitcake tastes like shit.”

“I made it,” said the offended voice of Dirk Gently from behind his back.

Todd was 100% sure his expression changed in only one second from disgusted to fucking terrified.

They were already four months into their new relationship, and no matter how hard he tried to be the best version of himself for Dirk, sometimes he failed miserably. That’s why when he saw Dirk’s own face changing by every second of silence that passed, he knew he had to say something.

“No, it’s, not that bad.” although his words sounded more questioning than reassuring. “It just had a bit of-”

“It was the raisins, wasn’t it?” Dirk snapped his eyes shut, and Todd knew he was mentally slapping himself for it. “I knew I had to follow the recipe step by step.”

“Well, they tasted a bit odd with the-”

“The chocolate!” He opened his eyes again, and started to pace around the room. “Yes, I thought it was a bit too much, but then again isn’t it one of the most delicious things in the world? It is literally _impossible_ that it tastes bad with anything. Or well, that’s what I originally thought. Turns out I was completely wrong as of what should or not go together.” He suddenly stopped in his tracks, gasping sharply. “What are the guests going to think Todd? The whole night is going to be a disaster!”

“Wait, stop right there.” He walked over to where Dirk was having his breakdown and put his hands in both of his arms, stroking softly to calm his boyfriend’s exacerbated thoughts. “We can fix it.”

“How?” he cried desperately.

“What if we do another one?” Todd raised an eyebrow, putting a playful smirk on his lips. “I can teach you my mother’s recipe, I’m sure Amanda would love that.”

This seemed to ease his nerves, because Todd could almost feel the way Dirk’s shoulders relaxed. He followed him to the kitchen and they started to take all the ingredients they would need.

As it turns out, cooking with Dirk was not as good as Todd thought it would be. He knew the guy had little to no knowledge about the matter, but still, having to explain every single step to him almost made him go insane. He had no way to count the number of times he tried to breathe deeply before yelling at him. But once the final product was out of the oven, he felt like he could relax.

Both of them were watching how the fruitcake stood in its recipient, almost shining in all its glory.

“Oh my god Todd,” Dirk whispered with a huge beam on his face. “Look at it. It’s perfect.”

Alright, he had to be honest, it wasn’t. They sort of burned it in one side. And the fruit looked like it went all to the bottom, not only one red or green spot on sight. And Todd had the feeling it had to be tasting a bit weird since Dirk made a disaster with the sugar. But casting a glance at the man beside him, with a shiny smile and a hopeful look, he decided it was good enough for him.

“Yeah,” he murmured softly, taking Dirk’s hand in his and lacing their fingers together, “I think it is.”

This didn’t escape to Dirk, who seemed surprised at the gesture before looking up at Todd. And then, his expression shifted, making the smile a little less excited and a bit more… private. As if it was meant only for Todd to see. He felt his heart jump once or twice.

“I hope it tastes as good as it looks,” he said, looking down at Todd’s lips with a playful shine on his eyes.

“There’s only one way to find out,” he answered, already shortening the distance between them.

They kissed softly, a little pressure on their lips before moving slowly over each other. They straightened themselves until Dirk was bent over Todd, whose back had hit the counter and whose arms wrapped around the taller man’s neck. Dirk’s hands cupped his face, and his lips gave him one last small peck before he pressed their foreheads together.

“Thank you,” he said with his eyes still closed.

“For what?” Todd whispered. He didn’t want to break the moment.

“The best Christmas I could ever ask.”

Todd didn’t know what to say to that. Well, actually he did. He wanted to say that it wasn’t a problem. That if it was for him, he’d give him any day at any moment and make it the best he could ever ask. But he couldn’t just _say_ that. So instead, he remained silent.

Luckily, he didn’t have to say anything at all, because they heard from the living room how the broken door flew open and several pairs of boots entered to the sound of Amanda’s voice saying:

“We’re in, losers! Let the Christmas begin!”

Todd feared to be wrong. Having messed it up by not answering at all, not saying to Dirk what he deserved to hear. But as they broke apart and took the fruitcake to the living room, only one look at his eyes was enough to understand that _he knew._ And that, was the best Christmas gift he received that night.


	5. Hold me close, there's snow outside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _“I’m so cold, do you think you can warm me up?”_ Farina.

Seattle wasn’t one of the most beautiful cities, according to Farah’s parameters, even less around the zone where she lived now. It was loud, unorganized, and very dangerous for stupid people to engage in threatening activities without even knowing it. (Alright, that was mostly because of her job, but it had to count as something). However, around the holidays it was as if all its charm resurfaced with green and red sparkles. It made it better to go around the streets. You could practically smell the Christmas in the air.

Her favorite part of it all though was the stores. They turned into a festive version of themselves, dressing up their employees in ridiculous but appropriate costumes, hanging stockings in the showcases full of artificial candies and other varieties of adornments.

So as you could imagine, it was only natural that shopping the actual gifts was Farah’s favorite activity during Christmas. There was something in finding that exact thing that identifies her loved ones best that she found so pleasant. And it was even more gratifying if she got to do it with someone else. This year, it was Tina’s turn to make her company, walking down the streets crowded with last-minute shoppers that made their way in their own gift hunts.

Now you may ask how, being a very neurotic person as Farah was, she was checking her shop list the very same day where the reunion with her friends would take place. Well, it had a lot to do with the girl fighting over a wool scarf only five steps away from her. It was the first Christmas that she got to spend with Tina on Seattle, and naturally, she wanted to take the most out of it. And if that meant having to wait until last minute to start her race through the countless shops in the city, then she was more than happy to let it sit there for some days.

Although she may have miscalculated the collateral damage that it would cause.

“What do you mean by closed?” Farah inquired at the tall and buff man standing in front of the gray metal curtain.

“I’m sorry Miss,” he shook his head. Although his look showed a bit of pity for her. “It’s Christmas Eve. You should’ve done your sales earlier.”

“Yes, I know, _believe_ me that I do. But you don’t understand,” she began to speak slowly, as if talking to an infant, “I need, to get, to that store.”

The shop in question was a new music store that opened no more than a month ago. She couldn’t even start to number the times Todd had expressed his desire to pop into it on their way to work, and even less the times Farah had to dissuade him from doing so. Now, after weeks of hearing how his record player got broken in their last case by some unfortunate series of events involving a messed up fire extinguisher, a tiny but powerfully smelly cheese, and an indestructible cockroach, she felt the need to replace it with a new one.

Farah did her best to convey in her look the severity of her requirement, and for the reaction of the security guard, who took a step back to say something on his communicator, it worked.

“The owners will be in thirty minutes. If you want to wait for them to-”

“Oh yes,” she nodded. “We’ll be right here.”

And without another word, Farah took Tina by the wrist and made them sit on the sidewalk right next to the store. She felt so proud when she noticed the look the man threw them.

“I love when you get all bossy,” Tina said through gritted teeth. “It makes you look like a true cop.”

“Well, you know what they say.” She straightened her back and imitated the man’s voice, “Don’t fuck with the police.”

This caused them both to laugh, the pair of giggles mixing as white smoke in the cold air of December. It was a very chilly day, Farah had to admit. There were even bits of snow gathering here and there, and more falling from the sky from time to time. So after some time standing in the outdoors with no movements at all, Farah began to realize why that had been a bad idea.

“Damn, I’m fucking freezing.”

Tina appeared to be thinking the same then.

“I told you to bring that extra jacket,” Farah said, making use of her best phrase with a prideful smile.

“How could I know that this sweater wasn’t going to be enough?” Tina excused herself, trying to make herself disappear inside the folds of her clothes.

“Because of me. I _told you_ it wasn’t going to be enough.”

“Shut up, you’re not a meteorologist.”

Farah shook her head, knowing she’d never get her to admit she was right. But after a moment of silence, she felt a small tug on her jacket.

“Farah,” Tina said.

“Hmh?” she hummed while looking towards the entrance of the shop. Did they really have to wait half an hour for them to arrive?

“I’m really freezing...”

“And what do you want me to do about that?”

The man in the entrance was gone by now, and Farah started to suspect they weren’t going to come back at all. Maybe it’d be a good idea to just go away for another store that could sell them a functioning record player for Todd before the time won the race. But just about the time she was going to stand up, something remotely warm wrapped around her waist.

“I’m so cold,” Tina said, rubbing her face on Farah’s coat, “do you think you can warm me up?”

And she wanted to say no, that they needed to get up and continue their search. But if there was something that Farah never refused was spending free time with Tina. Even in a cold street, pressed together against an even colder wall, waiting for some asshole to open a door for them.

 _So yeah_ , she thought as her arm embraced Tina’s shoulders and held her against her torso, _the gift can totally wait_.

"Next time you'll have to do as I say," Farah argued once more, but with another tone in her voice. A sweeter tone. “Neither of us want you to end up sick every winter.”

“Why would that happen if I have the best blanket in the world?” Tina asked back. “It’s like you were a walking campfire.”

“Because I always save you when you forget your coat?” she smirked, lifting a teasing eyebrow.

“No, idiot,” Tina pinched one of her sides, almost making her jump on her place. “Because you’re my own hot personal heater.”

And Farah laughed. She really did, not caring at all for any passing stranger or pedestrian that could get surprised by their presence. But even after the laughter died, the grin remained on her lips, because she knew Tina was right. As long as it was with her, Farah would always be her hot personal heater. And if that meant having that precious smile plastered against her chest, then she wouldn’t mind. She wouldn’t mind it at all.


	6. Come find me in the afterglow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Farah doesn't know how to flirt and Amanda is a good friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"I, uh, like your sweater" "This is an ugly sweater contest"_ Farina.
> 
> Title from Afterglow by All Time Low (I finally used one of their songs for a fic, yeah)

Farah always thought that Christmas traditions were stupid. Alright, maybe not all of them, she wasn’t the Grinch or anything. But there was a specific one that she despised wholeheartedly.

Secret Santa.

What was the point of it, anyway? Why would you give something to someone if you couldn’t ask them what they really wanted? Why would you risk at any point the chance of it being a terrible disaster if you got them the wrong thing? Or even worse, why would you accept something from someone else that you didn’t ask for? Where was the preparation? The utility? The organization?

Yeah, she had some issues with the entire concept of it. Amanda always said that she was a party pooper for that.

“You just don’t let people enjoy themselves,” she said for like the eleventh time, all while looking through a collection of ties. “You should let yourself free some time.”

“It’s not about that,” Farah replied. She saw Amanda pick up a green one, with tiny giraffes on it. She shook her head and Amanda returned it to its place. “It’s just that I-”

“Don’t get the fuss about it,” her friend rolled her eyes while perfectly ending her sentence. “I know that, but believe me Farah, it’s ten times more fun when all of us enjoy it and don’t make such bitter comments about it.”

“I’m not being bitter!”

“Yes, you are. Now stop complaining and help me choose a fucking tie that doesn’t seem taken out of a clown’s wardrobe.”

They had gone to the fair where they knew the shops would be. Early in the morning, they decided to go out and get the gifts for their selected partners, Dirk in Amanda’s case and Mona for Farah. All the people with their families and their friends were walking through the many attractions that took the Holidays as a chance to exploit their wallets. There were Santa themed games everywhere, and Farah thought she was about to take the water gun and shoot the next person that approached her with an elf costume, encouraging to go and participate in one of them.

“I mean, it is kinda stupid,” she continued, to Amanda’s annoyance. “Look at you, what could you possibly find for Dirk that he either A, doesn’t have yet or B, would actually like, I mean, what could you possibly get to a quirky detective that dresses like if a rainbow exploded in his wardrobe?”

“I don’t know!” Amanda snapped, raising both her hands up. “I really don’t, so it’d be great if you could help me.” And she returned to her task, but not before turning back at her and lifting a finger, “But you must admit, he can pull it off.”

Farah kept looking through the ties after tilting her head in agreement. And it was after the sixth tie that she saw her. Looking up from the rack of clothes, Farah met eyes with a blonde girl in the middle of a large group of people. She was wearing a loud light-blue and yellow sweater, with different designs of elves and gifts on it. It was so noisy that she could practically hear it. Her face was framed by two little braids that touched her shoulders and a bit of her chest. She locked two beautiful brown eyes with Farah’s, smiled a little and turn to shout at another man with a sheriff hat.

“Farah!” Amanda snapped her fingers in front of her eyes, taking her out of that trance. “I’ve been trying to call you to see something, have you returned from astral projection yet?”

“Sorry, I was,” she swallowed, “a bit distracted.”

Amanda turned to where Farah was previously looking, and after a minute or so, she gasped.

“No,” she said. “Farah Black? Drooling for some stranger she saw on the fair?”

“I wasn’t drooling,” Farah shot her a pointed look.

Amanda leaned over the rack and put a hand next to her mouth, “You did,” she whispered. “But I think you should go and ask her out.”

“What?!” Farah received a few looks from the other customers and lowered her voice, yet not her shock. “Are you crazy? I can’t just go and say ‘Hey, I’m Farah, do you wanna go out for coffee?’.”

“Of course you do. Look.” She extended her hand to take Farah’s, and put a big smile on her lips. “Hey there! I’m Amanda. Do you wanna go for coffee?” And then she dropped the smile. “You see? Easy.”

“I don’t even know if she is into girls,” she tried to get her to drop that idea already.

Amanda turned again to look at the presumed girl. Then she turned back and raised an eyebrow at her. “Yes. She is. Now go,” and she pushed her to make the first steps alone.

Resigned to fail miserably at this and ready to blame Amanda entirely for it, she walked towards the object of her most recent shame. She found them easily, talking cheerfully with the Sheriff Hat man.

“I swear Hobbs, it’s gonna be the best party you’ve ever been too, pleeeease,” she was begging him. But then she noticed Farah’s presence, and dangerously for Farah’s dying heart, she smiled. “Hey there.”

“Um, hi,” she said shyly. “I, I’m Farah.”

“Hey Farah,” woman reached out her hand. “My name’s Tina.”

Farah quickly took it, startling her a little.

 _Great_ , she thought, _scare her away before even talking, idiot. Say something, quick._

“Ummm, I, uh, like your sweater.”

But Tina frowned at this, pointing at something above them.

“This is an ugly sweater contest.”

And in fact it was, as Farah discovered after reading the fucking _huge sign_ promoting the event. She slapped herself mentally for that. Tina’s friend, the apparent Hobbs, tried to cover his silly laugh with her hand before leaving the girls to their own luck.

“Yes well, I meant it was-uh, so good that it was, ah, hideous.”

“Oh really!” Tina smiled brightly, and Farah felt like she was looking at the sun. “Man, I must really win this whole thing then.”

“I’m sure you will,” Farah nodded awkwardly.

“And tell me, Farah,” Tina followed, leading them a little further from the mass of people, “if it isn’t for the contest, what brings you to the fair today, on Christmas Eve of all days?”

“Oh, my friend Amanda and I, we are buying some presents,” she explained, pointing with her thumb to where she was sure Amanda was watching her great failure.

“Isn’t it a little bit late for that?” she snorted.

“Secret Santa,” Farah shook her head dismissively, as if that explained it all. “Although I always thought it was a bit silly. You know, this whole ‘let’s buy stuff at nine in the morning without much preparation at all’ doesn’t sound like the best plan for me.”

Why did she say that? Why would she even go there? That wasn’t how you asked people out, talking about your pet peeves?

Tina seemed to find it funny though.

“Why not?” she smiled, her eyebrows frowning a little. “It’s one of the best and funniest traditions of Christmas.”

“Because you never know what could happen for that,” Farah explained, as she always did. “What if it’s something you don’t like?”

“That’s the whole idea,” Tina laughed. “Sometimes things don’t go according to the plan, and yet they’re _so_ great when they happen, even if they’re awful. It’s the surprise element that matters,” she bopped her shoulder. “Oh, and speaking of...”

Tina took something out of her back pocket, a pen, she discovered. Then she took Farah’s hand and wrote something on her palm.

“My friends and I are throwing a party tonight. Come after midnight if you’re interested. It might,” she winked, “surprise you.”

And with nothing else, she turned to the mass of people that swallowed her entirely. Farah looked down at her palm, where black ink showed a phone number with a heart next to it. When she looked up again, she saw Amanda giving her two thumbs up from the store, with a purple tie in one hand.

She turned to see at the people with a faint smile.

Yeah, she could get used to surprises.


	7. We talk too much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The friends to lovers + first kiss fic that we all want to read in Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _“I didn’t know you put up mistletoe.” “I didn’t.”_ Brotzly.
> 
> Title from Talk Too Much by COIN. (that song it's sooo Brotzly, you should listen to it if you want to feel soft for these two dorks in love)

Todd knew many things about his best friend. Most of them were embarrassing enough to be blackmail material for the next century, approximately. But that also meant that he had a premise of how much likely it was that Dirk Gently liked something.

He knew before even the man himself tried it that he would love to go ice skating. He was 100% sure that the moment Dirk saw one of the Fast and Furious movies he would hate them forever (and he had been right).

But most importantly, he was certain that Dirk Gently would fucking love Christmas. And he was proven right when the day in question came. He had insisted on all of them to go partying in one of their apartments (and of course that as the loser he was, Todd was the designated host) and eat and drink together until the clock struck twelve at midnight. Then, he spent the rest of the afternoon dragging Todd and Mona to every shop in order to get ‘the best Christmas decorations’. But technically, Mona was being a Nerf gun at that moment, so Todd thought it was fair to attribute the sacrifice to himself only.

However, he knew that even if it annoyed him half of what he intended, he wouldn't be able to say no. He had a special place for the detective in his heart, even if he denied it to anyone who asked (Especially Farah, she seemed to think it was something completely different, which of course it _wasn’t_ ). He liked to see that big smile in his face for simple things, amazed at a world he’d been deprived of exploring. And Todd thought that the least he could do is facilitate him things a little bit if it meant seeing that smile again. Because that’s what friends did, right?

But he had to admit that the task could be tiring sometimes. He had had to deal with Dirk being in his place for an insane amount of hours walking around the apartment trying to decide where would be the best spot for his twenty different types of garlands. At some point, knowing that probably he wouldn’t notice in his excitement, Todd left him to finish with the decorations while he took a very well deserved rest in the couch.

Sadly, he did notice.

“Are you leaving all the work to myself?” he asked, placing his hands in his hips with green ribbons still glued to his fingers.

“I think you were handling it pretty well.”

This earned him an eyebrow raised and two pressed lips, so he knew his free time was over.

“Alright,” he stood up again, “what do you need me to do?”

“We have to hang that sign above the door,” he pointed at the white large sheet over the kitchen table. “Do you think you can help me?”

“Sure.”

But Dirk’s idea of help was a lot different than his. According to the detective plan, instead of getting Farah’s staircase for the job, Todd had to be a better staircase and held all his weight with his own arms. That’s how he ended hugging Dirk’s legs and with the taller man’s hand pushing his head to the side. If he did it any stronger, he would snap Todd’s neck in half.

“Was this really necessary?” he argued for the third time.

“Of course, Todd,” Dirk said, biting his lip as he tried to stretch the green S in the sign without falling. “If we asked Farah for help she would want to come and see-”

“Because we can’t act like grown up adults,” he rolled his eyes.

“Exactly,” Dirk agreed, clearly not understanding. “So if you tried to complain a bit less and just put the effort into being a good staircase I think none of us will have any problem with...”

Right then, some weird things happen. The Nerf gun in the coffee table shot itself before turning into an alarm clock. The shot itself took them both by surprise, startling Dirk enough to lose balance and fell to the side. Then, Todd reacted on time for the first time in his life and extended one of his arms to catch him before he touched the floor, holding his legs with the other arm. This resulted in an awkward hold in which Todd found his face being inches away from Dirk’s.

He could’ve made a joke about Dirk’s general clumsiness, or maybe make a remark on why they needed to take Farah’s staircase on first place. But he couldn’t say anything of that. He couldn’t say anything at all. He just… stared. His body froze in that exact position, being the rise in his heartbeat the only thing he noticed about it. Dirk himself had stopped talking, with parted lips waiting to regain the ability of speech and looking with wide eyes at Todd. Were they always that blue?

He broke whatever atmosphere they created by clearing his throat and letting Dirk’s feet touch the ground again. He looked puzzled too, a light frown taking place in his forehead and eyes fixed on the floor, as if he looked for an answer to whatever they had been doing a few seconds before.

“I… gotta go to the bathroom,” he excused himself, running away like the coward rat he was. Just as he closed the door he thought he heard the sound of a ringing alarm.

He let himself fall down to the tile floor, trying to assimilate the moment they just had. No, it wasn’t a moment. _Definitely not_. It was an accident. Yes! That was it. Nothing more than a little slip with no further meaning behind it.

And yet, as the scene replayed in his mind, he noticed more details about it. Like Dirk’s scarce freckles, scattered on the bridge of his nose and a few more on his cheeks. Or the intent way he had stared at him, unable to look away. Todd could almost feel his glance on him again, taking all his attention, as Dirk always did whenever he entered a room. The guy was pure sunshine after all. And he remembered his lips, opening in surprise but without saying any word. And the way his heart pounded, as it did now, making the heat take over his face.

Sometimes people don’t see what is right in front of them. Sometimes, it takes months, even years of obliviousness until one moment passes, and they just _know_. And as Todd looked at his reflection in the mirror, he knew it could only be with an incident like this that he came to realize what had been hiding at plain sight, under his own skin.

* * *

The party was good. It was pretty chill, to be honest, considering that the Rowdies decided to make an appearance. But Amanda told him that they were going to behave, and he decided to believe her. It was the best he could do, besides from praying they didn’t break anything this time.

Farah and Martin were talking about some type of weapon choice, for what he could hear. He tried to join the conversation, but after getting what he thought was the beginning of a Gun vs Golf Stick type of argument, he opted for being out of it. Beast and Vogel played Twister in the middle of the room, with Gripps guiding them on the roulette, and Amanda and Cross watched happily while chanting for them in turns.

And Dirk, well, he was in the most joyful state he could possibly be. After the sign incident, things were a bit weird between the two of them. But as soon as their friends started to arrive, he seemed to forget about it altogether. He had even smiled at him across the room at some point or another, giving him a thumbs up to communicate the success of their event.

Now, the detective was at the couch, struggling with a bit of Scotch tape while holding one of the decorative presents with the other hand. Todd walked over to where Farah seemed to have finished her discussion, clearly irritated with the other man’s responses. Martin had never been the debate type of guy, he figured. When he leaned on the wall next to her, she threw him a curious look.

“Everything alright, host?” she asked ironically. Todd thought it deserved one of his famous eye-rolls, so he gave her one for free. “Are you having fun?”

“Yeah, it’s much better than I thought it would be.”

His eyes drifted over to where Dirk was sat, still fighting with the tape and cursing a little under his breath. Farah followed his look and frowned back at him.

“Is everything alright between you two?” she asked, intuiting, and very accurately he must say, something happened with them.

“Not really,” Todd shook his head. “We’re alright, I think.”

“You think,” she repeated, lifting an eyebrow herself. “That doesn’t sound so sure.”

But then her look acquired a new tone. The corner of her lips quirked up a bit too, and Todd soon discovered that he didn’t like it at all.

“Did something... _different_ , happen then?” she asked with a sweet voice.

“Something… like what?” he played the fool. Because ignoring it was better than discussing it, in every aspect.

“You know,” she elbowed him, giving a little wink too. “Different.”

He clearly wasn’t going to get away with it.

“Of course not,” he scoffed. Todd only had to prove her things were perfectly fine. “I’ll show you.”

He went to sit next to Dirk then, but not before lifting his eyebrows at Farah, as if that showed anything. She only shrugged from her place and continued talking to Amanda, who had asked her something about Tina and Hobbs back on Bersberg.

“What are you doing?” Todd asked him, now a bit confused about the attempts of the Brit to do… something.

“I’m trying to fix it,” he explained, although it came out a bit weird as he still had the tape between his teeth. “I think Cross kicked it or something when he came in, so the wrapping paper got a little wrinkled.”

“And you wanted to straighten it,” he guessed.

“Yep.”

Fucking dork.

“Why don’t you just cut the tape with the scissors, anyway?” he offered, since Dirk’s idea of biting his way through wasn’t going to work any time soon.

“I wanted to, but I don’t know where they are,” he blew some air to take the bit of hair that fell on his forehead. Todd had to resist the temptation of putting it back in place himself. “And I can’t find Mona anywhere,” he added with a frown.

“Well let me help you before you make it any worse,” he said, but put a smile on his face to show that he didn’t really mean it.

Dirk seemed to get that sign, as he happily handed the tape to him to help him fix the mess he made. What Todd did miss were the meaningful looks that Dirk kept throwing him. If anyone paid a bit of attention to the scene happening behind them, they would notice Dirk’s sad but hopeful eyes following every one of his best friend’s movements.

Fortunately, there was a certain someone who did notice. Someone who had seen some spark fly between them hours ago and that decided she had to take the matter in her own hands.

When they finished wrapping the present again, they laid their backs against the couch, granting themselves a good and deserved rest, finally enjoying their celebration.

“Finally,” Dirk sighed. “No more food to serve, nothing else needs to be fixed. We did it.” He smiled, and Todd had to look away to prevent him from staring at it a bit too much. “We’re having a Christmas party.”

“Yeah, we are… Dirk, I think I need to say something.”

Dirk paid more attention to him, focusing on Todd instead of the rest of the apartment. Todd himself felt like this conversation could be easily avoided, but the unspoken matter was still bugging him from the back of his brain and he knew they would have to address it any time soon.

“About what happened today-”

“Oh there’s no need to worry,” Dirk cut him off immediately, a little too quick to be honest. “It was just an incident.”

“I know but-”

“It’s not like you wanted me to fall in purpose, did you?”

And Todd looked at him, and he saw it. Nothing. There was no sign of nervousness on his face, no detail that could give away any anxious idea Dirk could be having. He was fine with it. Because to him, Todd thought, it was just that. An incident. Even if his eyes traveled a bit too fast between Todd’s, changing the focus from one to the other. He was fine. They were fine.

“No,” he smirked. “I think I didn’t.”

“Good. It’s all settled then,” he smiled again, and that shut off any further conversation about the matter.

“But, are we alright?” Todd asked, in the last attempt of making him acknowledge it.

And there it was. The twitch in his eyebrow, the flicker in his eyes. He knew what Todd was talking about. He remembered. And then, he smiled, with a relaxed, almost sad smile that told him he didn’t have to worry about anything of it.

“Yes,” he nodded, his voice sounding a little… disappointed? “We are alright.”

Todd nodded back, trying to focus on something that wasn’t Dirk. And he made it, because his attention was caught by the strange thread of golden tinsel that hung in the spot in the wall next to his face. Todd followed it up the ceiling, right above their heads, where he noticed a little piece of…

Shit.

“Um, Dirk?” Todd called, not taking his eyes from the ceiling. “I didn’t know you put up mistletoe.”

But that wasn’t even the best part.

“I didn’t,” he answered, with a small portion of fear attached to his voice.

This seemed to be caught by one of the group, because soon Todd heard a whistle coming from them. He closed his eyes in resignation.

“Look where the two lovebirds came to sit,” Amanda joked, throwing them a snack while doing it. “So, what? Are you going to keep being idiots or are you going to kiss?”

Todd opened his eyes again and looked at Dirk.

He looked terrified.

“You-you don’t have to do it,” Dirk assured him, blue eyes opened wide like he had seen them hours before when they were inches apart from his own.

“What?”

They were so blue.

“You really, don’t have to,” he repeated. “It is only a silly tradition, no need to actually do something about it. I don’t even recall putting that up there and I’m certain that someone just wanted to play us a bad joke by doing it.”

Todd felt a little hurt. Scratch that, he felt very much hurt. Was Dirk really so disgusted about it that he had to emphasize it that much? If Todd had any doubt, by now they…

“Because I don’t want to put you in a situation that you clearly won’t enjoy. With what happened before I think it is pretty clear the position that both of us have about that matter. And we are alright,” he assured him, placing a hand on top of his and retrieving it right after. “Very much so alright. But I know that you won’t enjoy any of it so, perhaps it’d be better if I didn’t screw this up forcing you down on this, Todd.”

Oh. Right, so that was it.

Dirk thought _he_ was the one who didn’t want to do it. And with that, everything clicked into place.

“So, no kiss?” Vogel asked.

“Actually, no, Vogel,” Dirk answered him, earning a boo from the Rowdies. “That would put Todd in a pretty unfortunate situation...”

Todd turned and caught Farah’s look. She was raising her eyebrows with a light shake of her head. So Todd breathed deeply and turned back at Dirk who kept trying to phrase whatever messed up discourse he had in his mind.

“...and although is a well-respected tradition we might take it off altogether. Besides, we don’t even know if the involved actually want to perpetuate the action in question. I don’t want to make Todd uncomfortable in any way with-”

“Who said that?” he spoke out of the blue.

Dirk looked petrified.

“What?” he asked after seconds of silence.

“Who said that I didn’t actually want to do it?”

The sound of their friends cheering in the background compensated the lack of response from Dirk, who kept staring at Todd like he had just grown a second head. After a second, he seemed to remember how to speak.

“You-but the incident,” he shook his head,” I just assumed that, given your response to the whole situation, your thoughts on the mere idea of something like that happening were...”

 _You talk too much_ , he thought. So he came up with the best option to shut him up. He moved closer to him until their breaths mixed together and pressed his lips against Dirk’s. Behind them, the rest of the group cheered as Todd raised a hand to cup Dirk’s face.

“Oh my God,” said Farah. “It’s already midnight.”

Outside, the fireworks went off on the sky, imploding in different varieties of colors as all the families in Seattle greeted each other, wishing their loved ones a Merry Christmas. Even in Todd’s apartment there was a mix of hugs and toasts going on. All of this happened while Dirk embraced Todd’s lips with his own, softly, slowly, as if he was afraid of breaking them if he moved too fast. Todd felt his heart practically jumping in his chest when Dirk took a hand to his hair, feeling his fingers twist in the back of his head, pulling him closer. He felt dazed, completely gone, the feeling of Dirk’s skin under his fingertips being the only thing he could feel, apart from those great lips. Todd lowered his hand to the back of his neck and angled his head to deepen the kiss.

“I think we should leave them on their own,” Farah suggested after she looked at the men kissing on the couch. “We can make the toast later.”

“Let’s leave them alone, they were clearly waiting for it,” Amanda agreed with a tilt of her head. Then they heard the sound that came out of Dirk’s mouth when Todd moved forwards until practically sitting on his lap. “ _Alright_ , that’s enough, who wants turkey!”

When they left to the kitchen to look for the food, Todd broke the kiss, putting enough space between them so he could press their foreheads together. Dirk seemed out of breath, and staring into his eyes that close, being all shiny and full of… something, Todd thought there was no sight that could be more beautiful.

“Merry Christmas,” he whispered.

And Dirk smiled.

“Merry Christmas,” he said back.

Above their heads, the mistletoe had disappeared. And in the door of the kitchen, Mona looked at them happily, content with her own plan. And just when Beast noticed her presence, she raised a finger to her mouth and turned herself into a golden wreath.


	8. Please stay forever with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Story set one year after the events in "We talk too much" (although could be read as a stand-alone short fic)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"Is there anything more beautiful than a winter night?" "I can think of a few things. One of them is right next to me"_ Brotzly.
> 
> Title from James Dean & Audrey Hepburn by Sleeping With Sirens.

One year. One exact year had passed since Todd finally threw his inhibitions out of the window and gave the step he had been waiting so bad to give. Three hundred and sixty-five days where he and Dirk got to be _something_.

Although for a long time, they haven’t known what that something was. They never properly announced it, even less acknowledged it. It had been something that happened and continued to happen without anyone making a remark on it. Or that was until a few days before.

He had gone with Farah to buy the gifts for the team, given that they would all be going to Bersberg for this Christmas. They were in the kitchen utensils aisle when she asked her the damn question.

“So what are you getting for Dirk this year?”

It had been an absent-minded question, neither of them really focusing on it. Farah was picking up a recipes book for Hobbs and Todd was inspecting some oven gloves. He needed one of those.

“I don’t know,” he said leaving the gloves on their place again. “I haven’t thought about it yet.”

“Why not?” Farah asked putting the book now, her voice sounding a little too strange for Todd’s liking.

“Why would I?” he asked in return.

Farah officially lowered the book, slamming it against the others. This brought Todd’s attention to her once more, just in time to see her frowning spectacularly.

“I don’t know, maybe because you’re his boyfriend?”

And there it stuck him.

“His what?”

“You know, the person who kisses him, goes out with him and sleeps with him?” Farah raised an incredulous eyebrow, “Wow, Todd, I thought that one year would be enough for you to get over it.”

But apparently it wasn’t. He never stopped to think about it. He was happy with just letting it be, like he had always done. Todd had never been the type of getting into a serious relationship. If he tried to remember hard enough, he’d recall at least one attempt that ended pretty quickly due to his past stupidity. But besides that, all his past relationships had either been a one night stand or a very open agreement that often ended in forgetfulness. But he knew Dirk wasn’t any of that. He just didn’t know _what_ made it different.

Of course, he cared about Dirk like he hadn’t done with the others. He was his best friend as well after all. But despite all the time he put into thinking about it, he couldn’t figure out the exact detail that made it special, unlike the others.

One day before Christmas Eve, it rained. Todd could hear the drops hitting the bedroom window. All the apartment was summed into the darkness of the night, with only the yellow shining of the bedside lamp to cast some light upon them. Todd was lying in bed, fully relaxed and with Dirk Gently clinging to him under the sheets. His arm was around Dirk’s shoulders, and his nose tickled with the auburn hair that often rubbed against it. He could feel Dirk’s breath in the crook of his neck, huffing with a laugh about the most recent joke Todd shared.

“I’d never been more grateful about rain than now,” Dirk whispered, and Todd almost missed it with the sounds of the outside suffocating any attempt of intimacy between the two of them.

“Why is it?” he asked, petting playfully with Dirk’s hair as he got used to.

“Because then I have an excuse to just be here with you tonight,” Dirk said, and Todd’s heart would’ve come out totally sane if he just left it there. But… “It means I don’t have to go to my own silent flat that early.”

Todd’s eyebrows crisped. “Why don’t you stay though?” he asked, and the question was welcomed with complete silence. “You know, just a little longer.”

Dirk shifted to face him, and Todd got a close vision of the face he got so used to see. He saw the freckles he’d counted so many times before falling asleep, or the delicate eyelashes that so gracefully batted against his cheeks after Todd kissed him. Or the beautiful eyes he would drown himself in, that now looked at him with a deep shame.

“I don’t think that would be appropriate,” Dirk grimaced, communicating as clearly as always that he wasn’t so fond of it either.

“Why not?” Todd asked, turning to his side so he was looking at Dirk from above. “I mean, we are, something, right?”

“Are we truly there yet?”

But he couldn’t answer. He just remained there, mouth slightly open, no words coming out of it. Dirk just pressed his lips into a line and Todd felt like he disappointed him somehow.

“Got to sleep, Todd,” he said, turning his back at him. “We have a long trip tomorrow.”

Todd slammed his back against the mattress, sighing loudly.

The next morning when he woke up, Dirk wasn’t anywhere to be found, as it usually was. And recalling the last night Todd felt something tugging unpleasantly from his heart, the awful feeling sitting uncomfortably in his stomach as he stared at the empty bedroom he was in.

And the thought came to him as any other, no special bell announcing its arrival, no eye-widening moment of revelation. Just a simple whisper in his mind.

He wanted him.

He wanted him to be there when he woke up instead of opening his eyes to an empty and cold spot. He wanted the few spare colorful clothes in his closet to become a whole wardrobe, meant to be permanent. He wanted to hear the whistle of a boiler in the kitchen and be welcomed with another mug of coffee in the kitchen. He wanted to have another person, another specific person, with him, making sounds, talking, _laughing_.

What was different with Dirk was that Todd actually wanted him to stay. Unlike the others, he actually _loved him_.

And that thought alone was clue enough to tell what he had to do.

* * *

The night of Christmas was special. The food had been nice, and Todd discovered Hobbs had a special hand for making the best dinner he’d ever tasted. The company was the best he could ask for, and the atmosphere that surrounded the room was warm, welcoming, exactly what a family should feel like.

After midnight was when the party started. Tina told them the people would start to come at around half past twelve, and two minutes past that, the music could be heard from outside the police department. Laughter filled the air just as much as the falling snowflakes, happiness overflowing the small place in a way that everyone could enjoy.

Dirk and Todd, however, remained exempt from the celebration, having one of their own. Instead of the loud and bright environment, they settled for the quiet and chill rooftop of the building. They brought some blankets, a small thermos flask full of hot chocolate and their big coats to look up at the sky.

At this point, any problem from the last night had already dissipated, as Todd could see. Now, Dirk snuggled up against him with a warming smile, dreamy eyes looking everywhere and a cold hand intertwined with Todd's inside of his jacket.

He felt immensely lucky.

“I love Christmas,” Dirk sighed. He melted against Todd’s side, and he could feel the warmth coming from his body. “There’s snow everywhere, a little too cold I must say, but the view!” He shook his head slightly with a sweet smile on his lips. “Is there anything more beautiful than a winter night?”

Todd looked at him. Dirk’s head was placed on his shoulder, and his thumb stroke smoothly Todd’s knuckles, making his skin tingle where he touched. He saw his calm face, relaxed, without the usual rush of the cases that drove them everywhere across the Universe.

The package in his pocket felt a bit heavier.

“I can think of a few things,” he said, tightening his grip on Dirk’s hand. “One of them is right next to me.”

He heard him chuckle before giving him a kiss on his cheek. He couldn’t avoid the smirk  tugging from his lips.

“Speaking of, Dirk, I wanted to say something to you.”

Dirk lifted his head, visibly frowning now.

_Alright_ , he thought. _Is now or_ _never_.

“I wanted to talk about yesterday...”

Dirk looked confused at first, but then he opened his mouth when the moment appeared in his mind.

“Yes, Todd, I’m sorry for reacting like that,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t have-”

“No,” Todd stopped him. “That’s, not what I meant.”

Now the confusion was clearer.

“What is it about then?”

“I… I’ve been thinking. About, well, mostly us. About you. About me. About you and me together,” Todd realized he was rambling. “Well, I think you got the point.”

But Dirk just frowned deeper, this time with concern.

“Are you...” He looked down and up at him again, tilting his head, “Are you trying to break up with me?”

“What?” _What?_ “No, that’s, not what I was thinking. Like, _at all_.” He remarked to make it clear.

He knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere this way. Alright, straight to the point then.

“I know, well, we both know I’m not great for speeches.” Todd grabbed Dirk’s hands between his, rubbing his thumb against the bare skin to pass him some sense of security. “I wish I could do it like you. But as I can’t, I’ll just-” He got the package out of his pocket, placing it on Dirk’s hands. “Merry Christmas.”

Dirk frowned at it. The box was small in size but huge in meaning. The wrapping paper was a bright shade of yellow, with tiny snowflakes on top of it. Dirk looked up at him while unwrapping it,  showing a little smile. Todd felt his heart hitting his ribcage as Dirk opened the little box.

There was a copper key clearly displayed.

“It is a key,” Dirk said with a raised eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Todd said, licking his lips. “It’s the key to my apartment.”

Dirk’s smile fell, quickly replaced by a curious frown.

“Todd, what it is?” he asked with a tentative voice.

“As I said, I’ve been thinking. And I realized that, we are different. _You_ are different. And I like it. I really, truly like it.” He tried looking for a sign in Dirk’s eyes that he was doing it right, but he could see nothing there, his eyes for the first time showing no sign of his thoughts at all. “Dirk, I want to stop tiptoeing this whole relationship thing. It is happening, and I am so happy about that. I want to be serious about this. I love you.”

Dirk opened his eyes widely, so Todd had to rush and explain a bit. “You don’t have to reply. It’s just what I felt and I thought that you had to know it, so I figured that maybe-”

At first, Dirk  had been silent, sitting still. But then he snorted,  interrupting Todd’s words,  and that snort soon turned into a full laugh. It was right to assume Todd felt a little confused.

“Oh my God,” Dirk said, covering his mouth with the hand that wasn’t holding the box. “I love you too.”

“Yeah you… you do?” he asked back.

“Yes,” he laughed, beaming wildly, almost hysterically. “I just knew it a little earlier than you. I decided to wait until you figured it out. I didn’t want to pressure you or anything.”

“But you could’ve said something!” 

“And where’s the fun in that?” Dirk half shrugged.

“You’re, you’re just-” Todd shook his head, “I don’t know how I put up with you.”

Dirk answered by cupping his face, “ Because you love me.”

“Yes,” he smiled. “Yes, I do.”

And as he leaned to plant a kiss on his lips, still feeling Dirk’s smile on them, Todd knew that this would be the beginning of something great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! ~ I'm sorry for not posting yesterday, I swear I'll compensate it tomorrow by posting two parts on the same day. Thanks for understanding <3  
> Have a nice day!


	9. Home is were your heart is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"You smell like home"_ Farina.

Farah was a happy person. Yeah, with her anxious state and serious frown most of the people couldn’t tell. But she was in a good state of her life. Her work was more incredible and helpful than she could ever dream of, even if it wasn’t technically what she had expected. Her friends were incredible and they loved her, even if they weren’t what she originally had in mind. And her girlfriend was the best, even if she was the last person Farah would have imagined herself with. Her life was awesome, and many people would kill to be as happy as she was. And yet, she felt like she lacked something.

Even more in these days, when Christmas was right around the corner and people start to feel sentimental about their loved ones. She remembered hearing Todd talk about his parents. And after that, when Tina came to Seattle, having to listen to her talk about the antics she had played on her brother when they were younger. And something inside her twitched from hearing them.

Ever since she was twelve, Christmas had been a doomed date. Too many problems with the rest of the family to invite their uncles and cousins for dinner. So the Holidays turned from a celebration full of people and music into two lonely weeks with a simple dinner full of silence and ducked heads. Of course her brothers, as they grew up and started to study and work, found ways to communicate with his father in ways that exceeded his expectations. They were his pride, after all. But Farah could never do that. With twelve, twenty-five or thirty-one, she has always been the ducked head of the dinner table.

With the death of her father now, things were expected to change. But apparently, her brothers had already formed their own families to celebrate with. And although Farah was happy for them (Eddie’s daughter was one of the most beautiful kids she’d ever seen), she couldn’t help but feel that she was missing some of that family experience. Some of that warmth that came from being with the people you grew up, all together and _happy_.

It was in one of those nights were her mind started driving through those dangerous roads that Tina had settled in her apartment. They decided it was about right that they shared Farah’s place instead of paying for a motel. And although there was a nervous flutter in her stomach from the idea of sharing a place with here, even for the few days her visit would last, Farah was convinced that it would be for the best.

And she was proven right. Once they laid in bed, cuddled against her body, Farah could _feel_ _her_. She felt her chest pressing against her own. She felt the sweet taste of her lips when she kissed her good-night. She felt her slim fingers running up and down her back, making her tickle in the best possible way.

And even when Tina apologized for the gas smell in her clothes, result of a poorly fixed car and a long-as-hell trip, it was only natural for Farah to answer _‘You smell like home’_.

Because she might not have had a wonderful childhood, full of happiness and love. She might have missed the presence of a loving and supporting father, or even the mere presence of a mother. She might have missed the feeling of a familiar environment that favored her personal growth. None of that mattered, because she could find all those feelings and more in Tina’s warm arms.

None of that mattered, because she found a new, better, more welcoming home.


	10. I wrote a song for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: _"Let's go caroling!" "Why don’t you just let me sing to you tonight?"_ Brotzly.
> 
> Title from "Yellow" by Coldplay.

Dirk loved music. That wasn’t a secret, and anyone who spent at least one minute in his presence would instantly realise that. He went through most of his days with a certain song or melody stuck in his head, and any person with enough bad luck to be forced to share the same space as him would have to go through an intensive humming session that often lead to another, longer, singing session.

So naturally, when he found out about music being one important part in Christmas rituals —his favourite part of the year—he was _thrilled_. Besides, Dirk loved meeting new people, and what was best to make new friends and acquaintances than knocking on their doors to spread the feeling of love and hope?

And having a boyfriend with a well-respected (although simultaneously critiqued) music taste would be a nice ingredient to the mix. _Maybe_ , they could go together. And _maybe_ , they could _sing_ together! And who knows where that would lead them…

Yes, singing with Todd was almost a guaranteed gift to add to his Christmas list.

Or that’s what he thought.

“Let’s go caroling!” he suggested on the 10th night of December.

And that was all it took to shatter his dreams in thousands of pieces. Todd’s face immediately twisted, lips frowning tightly and eyebrows drawing together. That was the first bad sign. The dubious look he sent to the window from the kitchen was the second. And the way his voice hinted at all his inner discomfort with the idea itself as he said, “Don’t you think it’s too early for that?” was a perfect third sign.

“What’s wrong with being ahead of time?” he tried to convince him, putting his elbow in the breakfast bar and resting his chin in his hand. “We’ll be spreading the Christmas spirit with only fourteen days of difference.”

“Yeah, I can already see why that’s a bad idea,” Todd kept with his current task, cleaning the dishes, but the tone of his voice didn’t show any malice.

Dirk let his arms fall, staring flatly at his turned back. Then he walked over at him leaning against the countertop right beside the sink.

“But _Toooodd_ ,” he stretched his name for the sake of attention. The small smirk from his partner proved his methods to be effective, “you love singing.”

“Well, yeah, but it’s not the same as-”

“And you also love Christmas,” he pointed out, finger raised to make his idea stronger.

“Yes, I guess you could say that but-”

“Just think of what those two things could do together!”

“Ok, stop,” he snapped, and Dirk obeyed, letting his soundless mouth hang open.

Todd closed his eyes, sighing in what Dirk clearly identified as defeat. When he opened them again, they looked at him a little unsure.

“What if...” he licked his lips, nervousness showing through the gestures of his hands, “Why don’t you just let me sing to you tonight?”

Oh. That was an offer he found hard to reject.

You see, it Dirk heard him sing before. It isn’t like he didn’t know the man, after all, they spent most their time together. But he had never, as in ever, seen him do it seriously. Sure, silly songs in the car on their way to their next case stop. Sometimes little playful songs when he is distracted and thinks Dirk can’t hear him. But it’s never serious. He never tries to be good, despite how much Dirk knows he is good indeed. So it’s more than understandable that he doubts of him suggesting it so easily.

Dirk squinted his eyes, bending at his waist to get closer to the shorter man, “What are you planning little punk man? Where’s the catch?”

“Little-” Todd snickered ducking his head. “There’s no catch. I’m being serious. I think I saw my guitar somewhere around the closet.”

And he actually went to check, but it wasn’t until he came out with the acoustic guitar that Dirk really believed him. And once he did he couldn’t hide his cheerful grin.

He was going to hear Todd _sing_. And for real, this time!

Todd went to the living-room only to find Dirk already sat in the couch, legs crossed and back straightened in enthusiasm. He rolled his eyes before sitting in front of him, starting to tune the guitar.

“Do you have any song on mind?” he asked him, missing entirely the way his smile and eyes equally widened.

“Are you letting me choose?” Dirk asked. It was probable he would take it back now, but he didn’t care. It seemed a bit too strange. “Todd, it’s not Christmas yet.”

“I know,” he laughed, “but since you suggested it I think it’s only fair you pick the first song.”

He couldn’t be more in love with him.

And he knew exactly what he wanted to hear…

“All I want for Christmas is you.”

Todd suddenly stopped in his tracks, eyebrows immediately pinching in his forehead as he turned to look at him.

“Dude,” he said flatly, “there’s no way in the world you’d get me to sing Mariah Carey.”

“But you said you would sing whatever I chose!” Dirk complained with a gentle push in his knee.

“I know, but… did you have to pick that one?” Todd lifted an eyebrow as little wrinkles appeared next to his other eye.

“Of course,” he snorted. “It’s the most cheesy, catchy and _Christmasy_ song that there’s to sing, where would we start if not with that?”

Todd seemed to still have his doubts, because his hands still laid like dead weight instead of pulling at the strings. And well, his deadpan stare might have been a clue too.

“I hate you,” he stated. “I feel like you should know that.”

“You _love_ me,” Dirk happily corrected, bopping his nose while doing so. “And you’re gonna sing that song.”

Todd tried to resist, he really did. His eyes remained in Dirk’s, unwilling to play one note of the requested tune. He lasted five whole seconds before sighing again, and Dirk had to concede him that it was a lot compared to what they were used to.

“Things I do for love,” he shook his head before playing the first notes, and Dirk smiled to avoid noticing the flippy jumps his heart made inside him. “But I don’t promise to remember all the song.”

Dirk dismissed his words with a wave of his hand. “Don’t worry about that, I got us covered.”

Todd laughed, “Of course you do.”

He began recognising the song when Todd got used to playing it with the guitar. And he was going to start singing the first verses, he really was. But… something told him to wait. He wanted to hear _him_ sing it. Dirk opened his mouth though, to follow him right after the first verse.

“ _I don't want a lot for Christmas_ ,” Todd sang, and Dirk felt the sounds die in his lips, “ _There is just one thing I need. I don't care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree._ ”

His… his voice was good. More than good, actually. There was a roughness in it, coming from the back of his throat, that probably was because of the disuse. Or maybe Todd had always sung like that. Either way, Dirk loved it.  And he couldn’t bring himself to say anything about it, to do nothing more than plainly stare in awe.

“ _I just want you for my own. More than you could ever know,”_ he continued, smile lightly tugging from his lips in a way that was only noticeable for people who spent a lot of time around him. Like Dirk. Then he locked eyes with him, and his eyebrows twitched. “ _Make my wish come…_ Dirk?”

The sudden stop took him out of that state, and he finally found the words in him to speak again.

“Yes?” he tried to say innocently, although it came out a bit higher than he expected.

“Is it okay?” Todd inquired, one eyebrow already up.

“What? Oh, yeah, it was… it was perfect really.”

And it was. Too much for his own good, Dirk thought. Todd had always been secretive about his music. He had made Dirk swear he would never look up anything about the Mexican Funeral, not even ask Amanda for live footage of what their “concerts” were like. And although he may have broken that promise once or twice, it’d always been too loud to barely get anything clean. And then again, Todd never engaged in any musical activity nowadays for him to be sort of prepared for this experience. So seeing him now, sing to him, no,  _for_ him, felt like something too private. Something Dirk was  disrupting with his mere presence, as if he wasn’t meant to see it, even less hear it. Todd’s face changed when he had an instrument in his hands, and the moment he sang his expression softened in ways Dirk had only seen in late nights, too close to his own face to really get any detail.

“It’s just a song,” Todd tried to brush it off, as usual, “it’s not a big-”

“Could you do it again?” Dirk asked in a low voice.

“What?” Todd asked in return.

“The part you were singing. Could you do it again?”

And Dirk saw him duck his head to hide the faint blush crossing his cheeks.

“You can’t really like that,” he mumbled, struggling to make his fingers play the right strings for the embarrassment.

“It’s not for the song,” Dirk shook his head. “I want to hear _you_ again.”

So Todd obeyed, returning to the last chords and throwing a quick look in Dirk’s direction.

“But this time you will sing too. I won’t be the only idiot doing this.”

Dirk laughed at that, nodding in response. And they sang together, Todd doing it far better than Dirk, but both laughed in the process of finishing the song. And the next one. And the next one. And with each new lyric, Dirk felt his heart die a little more.

There were many things he still didn’t know about Todd Brotzman, but he knew for sure that he would be the death of him.


End file.
